Degree Requirements

As soon as they are accepted for admission to UCLA, new students should learn the requirements necessary to receive a bachelor’s degree and begin planning an appropriate program of study. All undergraduate students must satisfy University requirements, College or school requirements, and department requirements.

University Requirements

The University of California has established two requirements that all undergraduate students must satisfy in order to graduate: Entry-Level Writing or English as a Second Language (ESL), and American History and Institutions. It is each student’s responsibility to see that these requirements are fulfilled.

Entry-Level Writing

Because proficiency in English composition is so important to successful performance in many courses, Entry-Level Writing is the only requirement for graduation that students must satisfy before entering UCLA or during their first year in residence. They may meet this requirement by

Scoring 3, 4, or 5 on one of the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations in English OR

Scoring 5, 6, or 7 on one of the International Baccalaureate Higher Level English A Examinations or scoring 6 or 7 on one of the International Baccalaureate Standard Level English A Examinations OR

Scoring 680 or better on the SAT Reasoning Test, Writing (last administered in January 2016) OR

Scoring 30 or better on the ACT English Language Arts test OR

Scoring 30 or better on the ACT Combined English/Writing test (last administered in June 2015) OR

Presenting transfer credit for an acceptable college-level course in English composition (passed with a grade of C or better) at another institution OR

Passing the University of California Analytical Writing Placement Examination (all freshmen from California high schools should have taken the examination during the month of May before they enrolled; others take an examination at UCLA early in their first term)

If students do not meet the requirement in one of the ways described above, Academic Senate regulations require them to enroll in a course determined by performance on the Analytical Writing Placement Examination as early as possible during their first year in residence. Each course must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or better. Students receiving a final grade of C- or less must repeat the course during their next term in residence. Satisfaction of the Entry-Level Writing requirement is a requisite to English Composition 3 and all subsequent English courses.

English as a Second Language

All entering UCLA undergraduate students whose native language is not English and who have not otherwise satisfied the English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement or who are directed to do so by UCLA Undergraduate Admission are required to take either the Analytical Writing Placement Examination (AWPE) for first-year undergraduate students or the English as a Second Language Placement Examination (ESLPE) for transfer students. Neither the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) nor any other English proficiency test can be submitted or accepted in lieu of the AWPE or ESLPE. Students may take the AWPE or ESLPE once only. Unauthorized retakes of the examinations result in an invalid examination score.

First-year undergraduate students who have not otherwise satisfied the Entry-Level Writing requirement and who have not taken the AWPE by the time they enter UCLA must take it in their first term at UCLA. Results of the AWPE are reviewed to determine whether students should complete the ESL requirement prior to satisfying the Entry-Level Writing requirement. If held for the ESL requirement, students must complete the requirement by taking the designated credit-bearing courses.

Transfer students who have completed the English Composition 3 and English 4W equivalent courses at their transfer institution may still be held for the UCLA ESL requirement at the discretion of UCLA Undergraduate Admission. This includes, but is not limited to, all students who received a grade below B in either of these equivalent courses. Transfer students held by UCLA Undergraduate Admission to the ESL requirement must take the ESLPE prior to or during the term in which they are to register. Failure to sit for the ESLPE results in a hold on student records. Depending on the ESLPE results, students may be required to successfully complete one or more credit-bearing courses in the English Composition series.

Students must begin taking courses during their first term in residence at UCLA and must complete each course in sequence with a grade of C or better (C- or a Passed grade is not acceptable). All units are applied toward graduation but cannot be applied toward general education requirements.

American History and Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirement is based on the principle that a U.S. citizen attending an American university should understand the history and public institutions of the U.S. under the federal and state constitutions. Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must satisfy the American History and Institutions requirement by one of the following methods:

Completing a year’s course in American history or American government, or a one-year combination of both, in high school with an average grade of B or better OR

Equivalent courses completed in UCLA Extension or at another college institution, and accepted by the Board of Admissions, may be used to fulfill the requirement OR

Presenting a satisfactory result of the requirement, by examination, as administered at another college or university within the state OR

Scoring 500 or better on the SAT Subject Test in U.S. History OR

Scoring 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in American History.

Candidates for an instructional credential, but not for a degree, must take one of the following courses: History 143A, 143B, Political Science 145B, or 145C.

Students attending the University on an F-1 or J-1 visa may petition for exemption from this requirement by showing proof of temporary residence in the U.S.

For more information on this requirement, contact the undergraduate History Department counselor in 6284 Bunche Hall.

College or School Requirements

The College and each school with undergraduate programs establish their own degree requirements. These generally include a unit requirement that defines the total number of units to be completed, scholarship requirement that defines a minimum grade-point average, residence requirement that defines the amount of study that must be undertaken in residence at the UCLA campus, and course requirements that may include general education courses, reading and composition courses, foreign language courses, and core courses for the field of study. See the College and Schools chapter of this catalog for details on requirements set by the College and by each of the schools.

Department Requirements

Each department or interdepartmental program sets its own degree requirements in addition to those established by the College or school. Department requirements generally include preparation for the major, which are lower division courses designed to prepare students for advanced study and the major, which are upper division course requirements. Requirements for each department are listed in the Curricula and Courses chapter of this catalog.

Degree Policies

Students are responsible for degree policies and regulations as described in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.